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Public comment sought on accreditation review

Willamette University is proud to be accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, the regional authority on educational quality and effectiveness for higher education institutions.

As part of the regular NWCCU accreditation process, Willamette University announces the opportunity to comment with regard to the university's qualification for re-accreditation. The NWCCU will review public comments, and commission representatives will visit Willamette University for a comprehensive evaluation April 4-6, 2011.

Please send signed comments directly to the NWCCU. Comments must be signed for consideration. They must be received by March 3, 2011.

NWCCU
8060 165th Ave. NE
Suite 100
Redmond, WA 98052

Comments are forwarded, as received, to the institution, evaluation committee and the commission. A copy of Public Notification and Third Party Comments Regarding Full-Scale Evaluations (Commission Policy A-5) is available via "Standards and Policies" and then "Operational Policies" on the commission's website, www.nwccu.org. The commission office may be reached by telephone at (425) 558-4224 or by fax at (425) 376-0596.

Willamette University was originally accredited by the NWCCU in 1924 and is currently accredited at the baccalaureate and master's levels. The university's accreditation was most recently reaffirmed on the basis of a spring 2006 Regular Interim Evaluation.

Regional accreditation of postsecondary institutions is a voluntary, non-governmental, self-regulatory process of quality assurance and institutional improvement. It recognizes higher education institutions for performance, integrity and quality to merit the confidence of the educational community and the public. Accreditation by a postsecondary regional accrediting agency qualifies institutions and enrolled students for access to federal funds to support teaching, research and student financial aid.

University programs may be accredited independently. For example, Willamette's College of Law is accredited by the American Bar Association to confer a Juris Doctor degree. For information about Willamette University's additional accreditation, visit www.willamette.edu/cla/catalog/overview/cla/accreditation/.